Sloan
Sloan Aldensson was the human male town butcher in Eragon's home village of Carvahall. He is the son of Alden, and an unnamed woman. He was the husband of the late Ismira and the father of Katrina. Role in Eragon Sloan refused to accept Eragon's "stone" as payment for meat, because Eragon revealed that the stone came from the Spine, which Sloan believed to be cursed. His wife had met her death there years before, by falling over a waterfall, and he wanted nothing to do with it. In the book, Horst and Katrina interfered and Horst paid for Eragon's food. Sloan unhappily gave in. Later, he told the Ra'zac who Eragon was, where Eragon lived, and that Eragon had Saphira's egg or the "stone". In the movie, he does this only because he was threatened and even attacked; thus, in the book, it is possible that they threatened him or Katrina before the snippet of dialog that Eragon overheard. In the film adaptation of Eragon the character of Sloan is portrayed by Steve Speirs. Role in Eldest When the Imperial forces came to Carvahall seeking Roran, Sloan joins the village in fighting them, but when Katrina tries to take refuge in the Spine, he becomes enraged and attacks her, and tries to drag her home. Roran hits Sloan and rescues Katrina, and reveals that they are both engaged. Sloan is furious that they became engaged without his permission, and tries to convince Katrina to come with him. Hysterical when she chooses Roran, he disowns her, and denies her her mother's inheritance. Later that night, he betrayed the townspeople to the Ra'zac in order to regain control over Katrina, and killed Byrd because he was on watchman duty. He was then kidnapped, along with Katrina, by the Ra'zac and not seen by Eragon at Helgrind. Role in Brisingr Sloan and his daughter are held captive by the Ra'zac in their lair at Helgrind, and Roran, Eragon, and Saphira set out to save Katrina. They succeed in killing the last Ra'zac and Lethrblaka, but Eragon is faced with deciding Sloan's fate. Sloan has been tortured by the Ra'zac into revealing all he knew about Eragon, and had his eyes torn out. Though Eragon knows that killing Sloan quietly would be the merciful thing to do, and the easiest way out of his conundrum - Sloan, after all, betrayed the village of Carvahall - Eragon cannot bring himself to cold-bloodedly murder anyone helpless. Eragon lies to Roran, and says that he had found Sloan's dead body. Roran in turn informs Katrina of this, and she closes her eyes and becomes pale. Eragon dangerously stays behind to lift the sleeping Sloan and himself down the towers of Helgrind, exhausting his energy and letting Galbatorix's horsemen get very close. However, Eragon must still decide upon a fitting punishment for Sloan. As they reach the desert, Eragon discovers Sloan's true name and uses it to put several spells on him to force him to travel to Du Weldenvarden. The magic condemns him to never see his daughter again, the one person he is devoted to. This compulsion can't be lifted however, even though Eragon invokes his true name and forced him to swear to never see his daughter again, because he promised the oath in the ancient language, and so it is impossible for Sloan to see Katrina again, unless Eragon releases him from his oath. Sloan currently resides in Ellesméra under the care of an elf, as when Eragon went to visit him, Sloan thought it was a music-playing elf trying to lift him out of his misery. Role in Inheritance In Inheritance Eragon restore his sight so that he can see his daughter and grandaughter. He cannot contact them in any way but he is still grateful to be able to see them Personality As shown by his shop, Sloan is a man who keeps tight control over the things surrounding him. Though he dotes on Katrina, he also attempts to control her, as shown in both Eragon and Eldest. He also apparently cared about his wife, as it was her death that caused his paranoia regarding the Spine. For some reason, Sloan despises Garrow, Roran, and Eragon. He is very proud, and paranoid, possessive, and obsessive when it comes to his daughter Katrina. During Eldest, he seems almost psychotic, and is highly temperamental: * In battle, he is a bloodthirsty man, cleaving through soldiers' helmets with his cleavers, and slightly psychotic as he kills. See above quote. * He insists that Katrina not go into the Spine, and when she defies him, he becomes enraged. * When attempting to force her to remain in Carvahall, Sloan is approached by Roran, who tells him that the trip to the Spine must go forward, and that he and Katrina are engaged. Sloan tries to tackle Roran, but instead ends up getting punched in the face. * Sloan then disowns Katrina, and runs home in tears; soon afterwards, he betrays all of the villagers, resulting in Byrd's death and Katrina's capture by the Ra'zac. Appearance Sloan is a small man, with scars covering his hands. His hair is salt-and peppered, but later turns white during his imprisonment. After his eyes are plucked, his damaged eyelids are still attached, but only one tear duct works. Relationship with Ismira Sloan loved his wife very much, and it was most likely mutual. During their marriage their only known child is Katrina, and they both loved their daughter very much, but at this time it was something whole and healthy, Sloan's obsessive control over his daughter is most likely changed over time, and mostly because of the loss of his wife. Relationship with Katrina Sloan used to love his daughter as a normal father might love his daughter. However, his wife's death forced him into solitude, and his daughter was the only person he spoke to on a regular basis. He grew to love his daughter obsessively, watching her all the time, and trying to control everything that she did. Katrina loved her father deeply, but was irritated at his behavior, especially when it came to Roran. When Eragon attempts to sell the dragon egg he finds to Sloan, Katrina tries to convince her father to buy it, and Sloan speaks harshly to her, which in turn makes her treat him coldly. Eragon is shocked that Sloan treated her that way, as Sloan always treated Katrina with love. But when the subject of the Spine comes up, Sloan is always tense and angry. In Eldest, Sloan was planning to marry Katrina off to someone of his own choosing against her will, determined she would have a man that deserves her in his mind. When Roran mentioned his plan to move the woman and children to the Spine to protect them, Sloan was adamant that they should not enter it. When the other villagers agreed, Sloan was furious, and stated that no one of his blood should enter the Spine. When Roran convinced Katrina to go, Sloan became furious and manhandled her, and tried to literally drag her to the house. Roran saved her, and he and Sloan exchanged blows. Katrina was forced to choose between them, and she chose Roran. Sloan was broken-hearted that Katrina has abandoned him. He disowneds her and denied her her mother's inheritance, but when that did not convince her to come back home, he spoke with the Ra'zac and promises them that he will help them into the village if he and Katrina are spared. Sloan then stabs Byrd in the back, who was on watchman duty, and assists the Ra'zac and soldiers in kidnapping Katrina. However, when the Ra'zac double-cross him and take Katrina and him with them, he is angry and frightened. Sloan is doomed to never see his daughter again, and that causes him much grief, though he is cruel often to her, he loves her very, very much. Relationship with Eragon Sloan despised Eragon, and treated him horribly whenever he came into his store for meat. When he found that Eragon was truly a Dragon Rider, he was afraid, yet hid it behind his anger. He refused to admit regret for Byrd's death, and when Eragon put his sentence upon Sloan, Sloan was tormented to know his true name and heart-broken that he would be banned from his daughter's presence forever. Relationship with Roran For some reason, as with Eragon, Sloan had always despised Roran, and treated him unkindly. Roran was determined to please Sloan, and was always polite with him. However, when he and Katrina become engaged, and Roran failed to forwarn Sloan about it, Sloan was furious. He and Roran came to blows over Katrina, and then Sloan forced her to choose between them, and she chose Roran. Sloan hated Roran bitterly, and after he lost his eyes and Eragon informed him that Katrina and Roran will always be safe from him, Sloan wept. de:Sloan es:Sloan pl:Sloan ru:Слоан Category:Characters Category:Humans Category:Males Category:Carvahall villagers